George hayes



(No Model.)

G. HAYES. Swimming Device.

No. 242,773. Patented June 14,1881.

'2, a, perspective' qf fth'el l N ED STATES TEMr. 'OFFIjcEf.

GEORGE HAYES, on NE YYORK', N. ;Y'.

SWIMMING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part-of Letters Patent No. 242.77s',uated Jane "14, 1881.!

' Application filed-April 13,18 81. (No model-) l'o'all whom it may concern.- I Beit known that I, GEORGE HAYEs,Iaresident zof the city, county, and State at New York, haye invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Swimming Devices, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to I appliances ginte'nded I ofs'wimmin'g; and 11; consists in peculiarly-formed web pad'dlejs, and one set'for. the feet,- adapted to be readily graspedor'at'tached, and

to, facilitate the operation.

onefset for the hands,

of: such form as "to shed water on the-upper side, and hold. origrasp water -p111thegother, and thereby constitute ;a ,IDGRHIS whereby an pe i 'm 'rl m'ayobtain?increased s ee -,5

and an 'ine pert swimmer be enabled: to'propel himself siresterid.

In ,the "accompanying-' drawings, Figure 1 represents top View of a handgpaddle; .Fig. same." "Fig. .3 repre sents' a top View of; a }.;foot= paddle; Fig. 4 a perspective of the same ,Fig. '5 is a cross-sec Ition of a- .handpaddlei" Fig. 6 is across-section' Qfla foot-paddle *I ig. 7 is alength wise section of 'a footpaddle, ;show'ing a sandaltherein, (with a foot,) represented by. dotted lines A 1' These paddles. fortnf aaveb surrohiiding partia-lly or wholly the" hand or foot, and the hand *orfoot when pla'ced therein forms, when in acliOD,-Et part thereof to the extent offilling up acentral space designed forthem to occupy.

a representsthe web; I), the space occupied by the handoiv foot when in use.

Thehand-paddle .is provided-with grasping bare, to enable thehand toobt'ain secure gripe, and it 'isalso provided with a. 'wristlet, d,'t o give bearing and leverage. Astrap through slots e'serves to-secui'e-the paddle to the hand,

' as desired. To enablethe fingers to pass around a slot is made at f,-the metal the grasping-bar, of which,- after cutting, is bent over forward, to giye-strength tothat portionof the web,

throughfthewater with/some jcer i tainty of reaching the-goal tofwhi'ch'his de--' 1 They formfa web-extension,-=en-; I grasping-surface ofboth'hair'dsandi feet, and maybe-madeof any suitable material] as shown at g, and also to proteetfthe fingers against the raw edge ofthe inetaLl. y

The foot-paddle hasweb wand spaceb forth:

foot,: i ilar to th eh and-paddle, i tbeing'fornied,

essentiallyyon the same principle. Attic-cap is shown at h,

foot or's'andalto secure the same.

and at and yard shown bands e xten'ding under-the sole of the In Figs..4,T6,-and-7 the Satan isshown,

thercwittnf as desired. I h

- Straps a secure the paddle-to the foot, about as shown by the dottedlinesin Fig. .7

I hisinvention prom'otes sp'eed in 'swimining,

'either'for pleasure or the saying of life, or as s ananxiliary to life-saving devices in conjunof 'tion'. with floating or lifepreservers.

The foot-paddlemay be made of'rubber, similarto an overshoe, the whole being formed-in' 'afmoid in oiiepiece, or it in ay be attachad-toa the, usual canvas bath'ing shoe, or it may be stamped out of. a single. sheet ofmetal, and

. may be combined with or attached to a sole;

Swimmers using these-paddles are not so "liable to cramp and exhaustion-asthey wouldibe inpad'dles wherein thet'oot or hand is kept" in a rigid ,"strai-1 1ed, orconfi ned position, as in these improved paddles the hand and foot are not rig-idly confined or strained. 1

The hand nay be'released entirely will. out I remolving the paddles, and when in use-the, ands and feetare in a flexible condition and 'withouhrestraint.

,, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,"is- I 1. Ahand-paddle-so shaped and constructed as: to' form a'rigidwein-a, extending out,-

wardly from thehand on a line therewith, pro

vided with space b, .for'ireception of the hand,

allowing free play'thcreinandsurronnding the hand, so as to broaden the expanse thereof, essentially as and 'forthe purpose set forth.

2. A welihand-paddle provided with grasplug-bar '0 and wristlet d, as and for the purpose set forth. a

3. A foot-paddle so shaped and constructed as to form a rigid Web,a,extending outwardly on .a line with the foot, and provided with space 12, for the reception ofthe foot, surrounding the same, so as to broaden the expanse thereconstructed as herein set forth, the sandal 7. of, and. of convex surface above and concave arranged therein substantially as and for the 10 beneath, essentially as and for the purpose set purpose set forth.

orth.

4. A web foot-paddle provided with toe-cap h, sole-bands i j, and slots 0, essentially as and Witnesses: for the purpose set forth. GEORGE W. FORD, 5. In combination'with a web foot paddle THOMAS MOONEY.

GEORGE HAYES. 

